The push to opt out of standardized tests began as a point of protest for parents, but ended up as a student-led movement. The Atlantic
Why Common Core math is like baking: learning a series of calculations like steps in a recipe doesn’t always help you understand why the ingredients work the way they do. Vox
New York City charter network Success Academy’s devotion to test preparation has in part led to results that far outpace citywide averages on state exams. But the charter-school network’s methods and culture are not for everyone. The New York Times
On the 50th anniversary of the legislation that became No Child Left Behind, which greatly expanded the federal role in education, a look at how far education policy has moved away from Lyndon Johnson’s anti-poverty goals. The Atlantic
By age 2 1/2, the achievement gap between Mexican-American children born in the U.S. and white children is up to five months when it comes to vocabulary and pre-literacy skills. NPR
By approaching school discipline through helping students cope with trauma, schools can catch the problem before it results in a suspension or expulsion. The Hechinger Report
Most teachers who cheat on standardized tests never get caught, and those who do rarely face consequences as severe as those who will serve prison time in Atlanta. The Marshall Project
Commentary: Testing critics who argue that high-profile families like the Obamas have opted out of high-stakes testing by sending students to private schools often ignore that those schools require standardized tests for admission. Education Post
